Tales from Heritage Farm

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Fresh Off the Farm

Spring is in full swing! Soil-tilling and seed-planting activities are underway. Fresh-turned soil adorns the vegetable garden. The strawberry beds have been cultivated and weeded.

Pear blossoms are in full bloom.

The chicks have been ordered. The brooder house has been cleaned and made ready for their arrival next week.

Manure spreading is being done. Rain could soften the soil so that the machinery could get stuck. Thus, we have to be diligent at getting the manure in place before the storms come.

Some of the drama of springtime other than the crops, gardens and livestock presented itself three days ago. My husband found a litter of abandoned kittens in his machine shed. They had been left to the cold environment under a machine that could run them over. The mother had no interest in making a nest for them and suckling them. One kitten showed signs of life, so he brought the lone white kitten to me in the house. Emergency work began.

My daughter, experienced at nurturing abandoned kittens, and compassion-filled, wrapped her hands around the half-dead body and clutched it to her chest. With a little warming the kitten began to move and show signs of life. I, in the meantime, found a heating pad, whipped up a recipe of orphan kitten formula and found a nice medicine dropper to use for feeding the little creature. My other daughter got busy locating a box and rags in which to bed down the tiny baby cat.

When the kitten became lively and comfortably warmed, we began feeding her. She did not understand the dropper right away. Neither did she have much experience at using her sucking reflex. We had to teach her that the dropper was her friend. Her rooting reflex made her squirm a lot while we patiently tried to get food in her little tummy. She took some nourishment and cuddled up with my daughter. While she slept, the heating pad in her box kept her warm.

It is my job to nourish and clean the kitten now that my daughters are gone.

The kitten lost its umbilical cord yesterday, so she is growing up.

She can sleep 8 hours if her tummy is extremely full. But in the day time, she prefers small and more frequent feedings. That works alright. I have to feed her once at night, so I set my alarm for 3:30 AM. She is generally stirring by that time and ready for some stimulation.

Until then, enjoy your spring.

If you would like to learn more about this little kitten tale, I will write more about her soon.

If you need a formula for orphan kittens or puppies refer to this website, dated August 26, 2015.

On the lighter side, I bought myself new rope to refresh my steady helper, the clothesline. It needs to be put up. The fresh-air smell in linen is delightful. I am glad I have such a luxury.

Hanging up clothes is a simple task, but time consuming, too. Yet, there are several benefits. While I do it I am serenaded by the trill of my springtime friends, the blackbirds. I can see the sun bathe the landscape and brighten up the green undergrowth of grass. I get my daily dose of the sunshine vitamin…Vitamin D.

As I hang my garments up, a cat leans in and rubs against the cuffs of my jeans to let me know I am part of “her territory.” As you can see, this is more than a job. It is an experience! It also gives me some outside time to think and consider things going on outside of my domain in the house. It is a worthwhile work that saves money on my electric bill, too.

Even during the winter, I have a clothesline strung up in my basement from which to hang my delicate items. I also use it for drying work clothes. Clotheslines are very handy no matter where they fulfill their purpose. However, my favorite place to work with it is in the out-of-doors.

As the fruit of the earth emerges in springtime, you might like to peruse our store for “Daffodils.”

Friends are super assets in life. As a loving gesture, one friend of mine gave me the gift of a plant to hang by my front step. The happy-faced flowers greet me with a cheerful countenance as I approach. In them, I see God’s artistry.

Pink Shamrocks

I have other flowers to enjoy beside my sidewalk. These are also gifts from loved ones. Delicate shamrocks descended from a plant from my maternal grandmother sit in six pots on each side of my walk.

Geraniums

Other showy plants decking our shady landscape are geraniums. These are the parent and daughter plants of a Mother’s Day present I received from my daughter.

Meditating on these plants, their beauty and their seeds, prompts me to ponder those that I might be planting. Do I leave behind me the seeds of such things as friendship, heritage, love and kindness to beautify the paths of those who will come after me as these flowers have. It might be fruitful to ask the Lord to help each of us choose such seeds.

Seed catalogs list a wonderful selection of physical seeds to spread around one’s garden. The Holy Bible, too, lists a great list of spiritual seed for one to plant. May the beauty of the Lord be displayed as you leave seeds through your works, your words and your world.

Delight your special friends and loved ones with the floral beauty of this card named “Gladiola”.

Today, we have a snow-day on the farm. It is coming down hard now. Forecasts have predicted up to a foot of snow for our area.

Nearly 100 area schools ranging from preschool to universities are closed down. Close to 100 businesses and non-profits have closed for the day. Church activities are canceled or postponed due to the dangerous weather conditions. Plow trucks have been taken off of county roads because of poor visibility.

Snow days come with many varying kinds of emotions. Students may have enjoyment skipping a day of school unexpectedly. Employees may feel a sense of relief in staying off dangerous roads.

On the farm, there is extra work. It is not fun at all. We have been eagerly waiting for the milk hauler to arrive before the drifts prevent him from getting in or out of the farm when he comes to get our milk. We pray for him and his safety as he travels the roads with many gallons of milk in his tank.

We pray that electricity will not fail as it does in some heavy storms. Electricity keeps the milk the proper temperature until the milk hauler picks it up. Electricity enables us to milk the cows. If it should go out, our lives become more complicated and inconvenient.

Besides that, cows need to go outdoors for a stretch, but the snow can create slippery and dangerous footing for cattle. It was a day such as this when one of the milk cows fell and broke her pelvis. That tragic event hurt our annual income in one fell swoop. So the farmer plows out the barnyard to clear away the deepening inches of fluffy or heavy, wet snow. After all of the plowing, there is the barn to clean before the cattle come back inside. This all takes time and more effort than a normal work-day on the farm.

The weather is controlled by our Heavenly Father. This snow-day reminds us that we depend on Him for everything. It prompts me to pray to God for protection during the storm. It also motivates me to bake my husband a pie. He works so hard and will need a treat for lunch.

We would like to introduce you to a new card that reflects sledding the old way. This card is available for sale through our store.

The 1-day old kitten drank from a plastic medicine dropper and took about 1.6 ml. per feeding. He ate often. Gradually his appetite grew as he did. In a few days he could nap longer.

At 12 days old his eyes were opened.

By about 2 weeks old, we noticed him start to purr when content.

By the time he was 3 weeks old, he took as many as 8 droppers full (about 6.4 ml.) at a feeding. He did not take to the cottage cheese right away. He was dependent mostly on the formula for nourishment.

At 3½ weeks he was teething. Some discontent was noted. My daughter, his adoptive mother, let him suck on the tip of her little finger to pacify him. (Since his claws were getting much sharper, one had to be careful he did not claw and hurt one’s skin. A plastic bandage put on the distal end of the finger-not the fingertip-would protect the kitten’s caregiver.)

Cottage cheese was included in his diet at about 3 ½ weeks. He resisted the cottage cheese, but with the feeder’s persistence, he began to suck on cottage cheese curds that he was hand-fed. We also decreased by half the amount of honey in his formula. Initially he was not impressed, but that same day he was compliant and ate it.

By 4 ½ weeks, the kitten began showing strength enough to walk. Rather than creeping on the floor and dragging his belly on it as he moved, he was beginning to have strength in his legs to hold himself up off the floor. He was not able to run. He was still too young. He did, however, begin to show signs of typical kitten playfulness. He did not notice a ball or string at this age, but he liked to be handled, scratched and petted.

The kitten learned to eat from a dish at about 4-5 weeks. The trick to teach him that it was as good as a dropper-feeding was to put a half teaspoon of raw hamburger in a dish. He did not have to be told anything. He wanted it and could eat right away. He just needed a strong motivation to do it. Thereafter, we poured formula over the beef to get him used to lapping up a liquid. He was dropper-fed less and less.

We began Kitten Chow and he was glad to eat it. He was fed by the dropper only at bedtime. By the age of 6 weeks he was noticing strings and wanting to be playful with them or someone.

At the age of 2 months he was no longer eating formula, but water and kitten chow. He showed signs of being very healthy and playful.

For your information, see “Diary on How to Feed an Abandoned Kitten” in my next blog. In it you can see how this formula worked for us. You may find a need for this information some day. I hope it is helpful.

The calving season on this farm is nearly finished for this year. Only 3 calves are being bottle-fed or being weaned from milk to water. Over the winter, our daughter has done the calf chores morning and evening. With only 3 calves to care for, her dad has picked up that chore.r daughter has done the calf chores morning and evening. With only 3 calves to care for, her dad has picked up that chore.

Besides the calving, milking has continued to be done twice daily. The barn has had to be cleaned of manure on a regular basis. It has been been spread on the fields where it will be useful. Over winter, plowing snow was required for us to sell our milk. Without safe passage onto the farm, the milk truck would not pick up our product. Winter has been busy.

With the lull between winter and spring, other chores take our attention.

We are making arrangements for the vegetable garden.

Machinery is being fixed up and made ready for planting season.

Removing the snow fence, the downed tree branches and bush scraps from the yard is a big job at this time of year.

Some pruning of trees and bushes is already done.

Raking flowerbeds and other leftovers from last year is another seasonal chore yet to be finished.

Chicks have been ordered.

Seed corn has been purchased.

With the warmer temperatures, these tasks are almost pleasant. Yet as the time crunch goes on, diligence is still necessary. There is more to do to prepare for the heavy jobs to start. Partnership in the jobs will be a key for facing the busy future as the season turns.

Breakfast comes around early on the farm. With it we celebrate the new day. My husband uses breakfast as a break time. He generally is up before 5 AM. His day has already been very active. My day does not start that early, but I purpose to spend time reading my Bible before breakfast. Before the busy day chores take my attention, I set aside time to take in spiritual food that comes through God’s Word.

I have not eaten bread, toast, bagels, muffins, donuts or cereal since September. So what, you might ask, are my alternatives for the first meal of my day?

My daughter and I have been partners in our new way of eating. Here is one recipe that she has found to be very satisfying for breakfast. You might like to try it. This recipe can be altered depending on each person’s individual tastes. Note: If your preference does not lean toward spices you may want to decrease some of the herbs.

Scrambled Herbs with Egg

1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. salt

scant 1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. oregano leaves

1/8 tsp. basil

1-1/2 tsp. milk

scant 3/4 tsp. honey

2 eggs

Mix together the spices, milk and honey in a small bowl. Add the eggs and beat them. Place in a hot, greased pan and cook while stirring occasionally.

The honey gives a faint sweetness. The aroma from the herbs make this dish very appetizing. The short after-taste of the herbs contributes to the feeling of satisfaction after eating your meal. I hope you enjoy this idea from our kitchen.

Eggs might also contribute to your appreciation of chickens. The Rooster and Setting Hen may catch your eye. We have these designs in note card format. The Rooster is also available in an 8″ x 10″ print. To inquire about the 8″ x 10″ print, contact us at grabauheritagecards@live.com.

It is interesting how things worked out. The vet could not get to our place that day. Baby was not miserable, just disabled. Her eyes were still bright and she was eating well. So we waited.

Farm life, for us, includes many animals. It is not uncommon for us to ask God for things that they need. I prayed for Baby. I asked our grandchildren to pray for her, too. The children had befriended Baby over the years and were so sad to hear of her injury. We asked for her healing, not knowing that God was working on her.

Several days later, I picked Baby up and tried to find that large gaping wound on her underside. It was gone! Her flesh had knit together. The leg wound was decreasing in size. Skin was forming over the exposed muscle.

The bone still protruded and had to be removed. Our vet helped us with that. Baby had surgery and has recovered.

She can get around up and down stairs and is looking very fit. She has put on the weight she lost and is wanting more social activity. She is returning to her old self again.

We never did decide how she got hurt. Maybe she got run over by some vehicle. It remains a mystery.

We are sure, however, that God had a hand in her healing. He gave her instincts to use in caring for herself. Our vet along with the auxiliary care we could provide all worked together for her good. Her accident was not pleasant nor was it good, but it does illustrate a principle we find written in the Holy Bible. In Romans 8:28 we find, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according His purpose.”(NKJV)

I hope you enjoyed this little story about how God healed Baby, our farm cat.